Inside & Out Ch 5: The Path of a Sentinel!

(Charlotte)  The morning air was crisp, the kind that woke you up faster than a strong cup of coffee. I walked at a steady pace down the sid

(Charlotte) 

The morning air was crisp, the kind that woke you up faster than a strong cup of coffee. I walked at a steady pace down the sidewalk, my shoes tapping rhythmically against the pavement. I was making good time.

Not surprising—Mom always drilled into me the importance of being early for everything. 'Five minutes early is on time, and on time is late, Charlotte!' her voice echoed in my head.

I smiled to myself. Sometimes I wondered if I'd ever stop hearing her little life lessons.

As I passed a small café, I heard it.

"Charlotte!"

I turned, only to see a familiar figure barreling toward me.

"Oh no." I barely had time to brace myself before I was engulfed in a suffocating hug.

"Lina, oxygen! I need oxygen!" I gasped, giggling as I struggled against her grip.

Lina, my best friend and personal enthusiastic life hazard, finally let me go, grinning from ear to ear. "You act like you don't love my hugs."

I shook my head, adjusting my bag. "Not when they almost send me to an early grave."

We started walking together, falling into step like we always did.

"You're early, as usual," Lina said, nudging me. "You're gonna give the other employees a complex, you know."

"And you're late, as usual," I shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Lina winced. "Okay, rude."

I gestured toward the building up ahead—her workplace, conveniently right across from mine. "You do realize you work directly in front of me? You know I can see when you're late, right?"

Lina groaned. "Ugh, you sound just like your mom."

"Good, because she's right. You need to be on time."

"Eh, my boss is chill," Lina waved dismissively. "As long as I'm not late on busy days or making a habit of it, I'm fine."

I sighed, shaking my head. Lina was always like this—laid back, easygoing, confident things would always work out. In some ways, I envied her.

She was working as a seamstress apprentice, slowly but surely learning the skills she'd need to become a fashion designer one day. She had a goal, a dream, something to push toward.

I had... a sandwich shop.

Lina must've caught my expression because she bumped her shoulder against mine. "Don't overthink it, Char. You'll find your thing, I know you will."

I opened my mouth to say something, but Lina suddenly grinned. "Oh! Speaking of people going for what they want—guess what?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

She practically bounced with excitement. "You know Finn, right?"

I blinked. "Our Finn? Finn Finn?"

She nodded rapidly.

I frowned. "What did he do now?"

Lina grinned. "He finally applied."

I tilted my head. "Applied to what?"

She rolled her eyes like I was the dumbest person alive. "You don't mean—?"

"Yep." Her grin widened. "A Sentinel."

I stopped walking.

Lina noticed my silence and sighed. "Yeah, I figured you'd react like this."

I didn't respond right away, instead staring down at the pavement, my thoughts suddenly heavier than they were five seconds ago.

A Sentinel.

Not just a name, but a title. A rare one.

Not everyone who had Zeyvaris living inside them developed abilities—only a select few did. And for those who did, they were immediately scouted by the Aurora Corp, the government agency in charge of keeping the country safe.

Sentinels were the best of the best.

They were given specialized training, high-tech equipment, and positions that carried immense power and responsibility.

It was an honor to be chosen.

A privilege.

And an incredibly dangerous life to live.

I swallowed, my fingers tightening around the strap of my bag.

Lina nudged me gently. "He'll find out if he made it later today."

I nodded slowly, still lost in thought.

Finn, a Sentinel? It didn't seem real.

"Hey." Lina's voice was softer now. "He'll be fine. You know Finn—he's got a better shot than most."

I forced a small smile, but deep down, I wasn't sure how to feel.

Because if Finn could do something as incredible as becoming a Sentinel...

Then what was I doing with my life?

Lina scoffed, shaking her head. "I don't get what's so great about being a Sentinel anyway."

Charlotte glanced at her, eyebrows raised. "Are you serious?"

Lina crossed her arms. "Yeah, I'm serious. Sentinels aren't treated like people, Char. They're weapons. Tools. Once you're in, that's your whole life. Orders, missions, secrecy—you don't get to just... live anymore."

Charlotte frowned but didn't say anything.

Lina sighed, running a hand through her dark curls. "Look, I get why Finn wants it. He's always been that type, all brave and self-sacrificing. But honestly? I'd rather have a simple life." She gestured around them. "I like knowing I can just walk down the street, work my job, maybe one day open my own fashion business. You know, normal dreams."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "You make it sound so dull. Being a Sentinel would be exciting. Important. Definitely better than making sandwiches every day."

Lina smirked. "Then why didn't you apply?"

Charlotte's steps faltered for just a second, but she quickly picked up the pace.

She didn't answer.

Lina didn't press, just gave her a knowing look before sighing. "Yeah. Thought so."

Charlotte kept her eyes forward, pretending she wasn't bothered. Because the truth was, she had thought about it. She'd thought about it a lot.

But the idea of applying and failing—of proving that she wasn't special—was a weight she wasn't sure she could carry.

She was spared from her thoughts by a faint tickle on her tongue and between her teeth.

Her little guys were cleaning.

Right on schedule.

The Zeyvaris inside her mouth always worked like clockwork, scrubbing between her teeth, polishing them so thoroughly that she never actually had to brush them herself. They even kept her breath fresh.

Charlotte exhaled softly, wondering what they were even getting out of this today. She hadn't eaten breakfast, so there wasn't much left for them to clean.

Maybe some microscopic crumbs?

Maybe they were just thorough like that?

She hoped they weren't starving.

"Charlotte, watch out!"

A blur of movement caught her eye—a little kid, no older than six, chasing after a bright red ball as it rolled into the street.

But just as he reached for it, Charlotte saw the oncoming car.

"Stop!!!"

She threw out her hands, her heart slamming against her ribs.

Lina's breath hitched beside her, her hands clamping over her mouth.

"Oh no..."